Public spirited board game

ABSTRACT

A game comprising: a board, game pieces, money, game cards, assets, charitable objects, dice and rules, the game so constructed and arranged that acquisition of the assets must be balanced by contribution to a community in order to win the game.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims the benefit of priority from the followingapplications filed in the name of applicant and inventor AndreaThompson: (a) AU provisional patent application number 2012904803entitled “A Public Spirited Board Game” filed on Nov. 3, 2012; (b) AUinnovation patent application number 2013100290 entitled “A PublicSpirited Board Game” filed on Mar. 12, 2013; and (c) U.S. provisionalpatent application No. 61/722,653 entitled “A Public Spirited BoardGame” filed on Nov. 5 2012; the contents of all three applications areincorporated herein by reference (as if recited below).

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of strategic board games.

2. Background Art

Board games pertaining to commerce have a long history. Typically, mostboard games that are commercial in spirit are based upon the notion thatthe winner of the game is the player who acquires the greatest amount ofassets compared to other players in the game.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

General problems with background art:

Central to the inventor's discovery is the recognition of the problemthat many commercially related games fail to appreciate the importanceof public-spirited philanthropy, particularly when used to train peoplein the study of commerce. Further, financial crises have alsodemonstrated, in a more general sense, the need for corporations to actnot only legally, but also ethically and responsibly in the execution oftheir duties. In particular, a failure by corporations to ‘give back’some of their acquired wealth to the community and in contrast to engagein exclusive control of assets can lead to destruction of a consumerpopulation as wealth is eventually depleted from the consumerpopulation. In particular, a reduction in the number of persons who canactually participate meaningfully in trade and commerce and inparticular a reduction in the number of persons who can buy productsfrom a company as a result of a company ‘cornering’ the market (havinggained exclusive market control) is not only destructive to theconsumers but in the long term to the company (this fact is mirrored notonly in artificial games but also in actual real world trade andcommerce). Accordingly, games that seek to focus exclusively upon anasset acquisition model can engender a form of behaviour that can, in aworst-case scenario, be socially destructive in the long term (leadingto a destruction of a consumer base, which could otherwise acquireproducts from a company). Generally, in both games and in real worldcommerce it is necessary for all participants in commerce (real orartificial) to be able to participate, not only for the survival of theconsumers themselves but also for the survival of the commercial systemas a whole.

Specific problems with background art including:

In the context of board games it has been realized by the inventor thatif a game is exclusively based upon maximizing asset acquisition thenseveral destructive effects occur (i) the game is usually over when oneplayer gains various prize assets (ii) games focused exclusively uponasset acquisition instead of a balance between asset acquisition andcommunity contribution can engender a socially destructive mindset basedupon greed and selfishness (iii) games focused exclusively upon assetacquisition lack a ‘balancing’ factor—the need for asset acquisition bya corporation to be balanced by community contribution.

Technical Problem

To ameliorate some of the effects of the general problems and thespecific problems as recited above and in particular to provide, atleast in part, games in which persons are rewarded not only for assetacquisition but also for community participation.

Technical Solution

Providing a game that gives each player an equal chance of winning thegame provided that the player balances asset acquisition with communityfocused philanthropy (helping others as opposed to merely helpingoneself).

Advantageous Effects

Advantageous effects include:

encouraging community spirit in persons of all ages;

engendering a realization in players that a pure focus upon assetacquisition as opposed to balancing asset acquisition with communitycontribution is socially destructive to all participants in a communityand in the context of a board game would lead to rapid termination ofthe game often with residual feelings of animosity towards successfulplayers;

providing a player with a positive emotional reward based upon theirinvolvement in public spirited activities and in particular byencouraging people to not only be financially successful in their livesbut to give serious consideration as to how they can assist the widercommunity.

In a first aspect of invention, a game is provided in which each playerhas a chance to win the game by helping another person, by using anasset acquired while playing the game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 discloses a preferred mode of invention in general form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions and Terms

The description in the body of the specification pertains to ‘preferred’modes of invention. Accordingly, features recited in the body should notbe construed to be essential features of the invention unless explicitlyindicated. Further, any reference in the body to the expression‘invention’ should be construed to imply a reference to preferredembodiments only.

FIG. 1 discloses a preferred mode of invention as depicted by the game10. A board 12 can have locations 14 printed on the board 12. The gamecomprises playing pieces 16. In a preferred mode the pieces 16 can takethe form of industrial machinery to emphasize the commercial side of thegame 10. The game 10 can further comprise money 18 (typicallyvirtual\play money) and game cards (instructions for play) 20. The gamecards 20 can contain instructions for players on where to move the gamepieces; whether or not a player has lost or acquired money 18 dependingupon whether or not the player's actions are deemed socially responsibleand also in another embodiment, instructions that could advise a playerthat he\she is to miss a turn in order to perform a public spirited actthat could include assisting farmers who have been a victim of a flood.

In addition to the game cards 20, asset cards 22 are also provided. Theasset cards 22 are certificates of ownership of assets acquired whilesuccessfully competing in the game (shareholder certificates in oneembodiment). However, as previously recited, the acquisition of assetsis not the only aim of the game, if a person is to succeed (win thegame). Asset acquisition must be balanced by community contribution.Accordingly, in order to win the game a player must acquire items, hererepresented by charitable object 24 as an indicator of philanthropiccontribution to the community. There is also a relationship betweenasset cards 22 (for defining an asset) and charitable objects 24 (thelatter indicative of a willingness of a corporation to ‘give back’ (makea contribution to the community as a whole)). The relationship betweenthe asset cards 22 (being in one embodiment a shareholder certificate)and the charitable objects 24 (which can in one embodiment include aring) is that a person cannot win the game until the person has acquireda sufficient number of charitable objects 24. However, just as a companycannot help the poor without the company itself having assets to assistthe poor, similarly, a player cannot donate money back to the community(as evidenced by a charitable objects 24) until such time as the playerhas acquired an asset card 22 (indicative of ownership of an asset, thatin one embodiment can include a shareholder certificate).

In a broad mode of invention, a player will upon throwing at least onedice 26 move a playing piece 16 around the board 12 from one location 14to another location 14. The player, assuming the player to havesufficient funds, can purchase assets 22 and also make donations to thecommunity, indicated by a player purchasing a charitable object 24 (theobject 24 being indicative of the players commitment to philanthropy).If the player was hypothetically to engage in a purely selfish activityof asset acquisition ‘only’, with no thought given to philanthropy, thenthe player would be guaranteed to fail (lose the game) because theplayer would never obtain a predetermined number of charitable objects24 necessary to win the game. It is this delicate balance between (a)the need to acquire assets before having a capacity, according to therules of the game, to make charitable donations and (b) the requirementto assist others as evidenced by the acquisition of charitable objects24 in order to win the game—that is central to the philosophy of thegame.

Further to the above, in order to balance out the likelihood of allpersons winning in the game, the game cards 20 contain an element ofuncertainty in which a player can either be rewarded or penalizeddepending respectively upon their philanthropic deeds (or the lackthereof). The game cards 20 can also adversely impact upon a player as aresult of circumstances beyond a player's control, as in the case of acard 20 referring to a disaster including a bushfire. Conversely, thecards 20 can also positively impact upon a player by rewarding a player,in one embodiment, for participation in cancer research.

Generally speaking, it can be said that the need to balance assetacquisition with charitable contributions defines a true winner, both inthe game at hand and also in real life. For as recited above, the gameis intended not only to encourage financial independence for persons ofall ages, but also to encourage people to act ethically and responsiblythroughout their lives and particularly in their business lives.

Broadly, it can also be said that it is an object of the game toencourage players both in the game and in real life to assist lessfortunate persons in the community.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In use, one broad embodiment of the present invention comprises astrategy board game involving 2 identical card sets of 13 industrygroups. Full player participation is required with sufficient board gamefunds available to meet all playing requirements. Plastic rings canrepresent a charitable object 24. Further, just as rings can bepurchased, stands can also be purchased (the stands having connotationsin the community of a company having acquired a reputation forphilanthropy). Game cards 20 reimburse or penalise players for topical,social reasons.

The game is available for use by any person aged over around 8 years ofage with basic language, literacy and computational skills. The benefitsavailable can include opportunities for social interaction, strategicplanning, computation, comprehension of written material, attention todetail and opportunities to understand some of the concepts of fairplay.

In one embodiment, the aim is to be able to have 2-6 players engage in aboard game for approximately an hour without necessarily requiringelectronic equipment and\or the early retirement of some players due tolack of game funds or other strategic or physical reasons. Although thegame can be played without using electronics in one embodiment, the gamecan also be implemented using at least one of the following: (i)software (ii) firmware (iii) electronic apparatus and also by way ofplay at a distance using electronic forms of communication includingInternet connections.

In one embodiment, the game can include:

sufficient game funds to meet all game liabilities;

2 starting points;

built in game cards which reimburse or penalise players for certaintransactions (philanthropic acts or lack thereof);

double sets of industry cards resulting in competition and a check onownership;

opportunities for community reimbursement options.

In one preferred embodiment, the game can also include:

the ability for a player to be able to access any unsold card at certainpoints in the game;

a plurality of all industry (shareholder certificate) asset cards;

the ability for a player to sell an industry card (asset card) and ring(charitable object) for the card's original sale price in the event of afunds shortage so that losses to players are limited.

1. A game comprising: a board, game pieces, money, game cards, assets,charitable objects, dice and rules.
 2. The game as recited in claim 1played in such a way that in order to win the game a player must acquireat least one of the charitable objects.
 3. The game as recited in claim2 in which the money is sufficient to play the game with full playerparticipation according to the rules.
 4. The game as recited in claim 3in which there are at least two sets of the game cards and two startingpositions on the board for the game pieces.
 5. The game as recited inclaim 4 in which the game is so constructed and arranged in order toprevent exclusive control of the assets by any player.
 6. The game asrecited in claim 5 in which the game pieces can take the form ofindustrial machinery.
 7. The game as recited in claim 6 in which theassets can take the form of shareholder certificates.
 8. The game asrecited in claim 7 in which the charitable objects can take the form ofobjects selected from a group consisting of rings and stands.
 9. Thegame as recited in claim 8 in which the game cards can includeinstructions selected from a group consisting of instructions thatpenalize a player and instructions that reward a player.
 10. The game asrecited in claim 9 in which the game rules permit a player to sell anitem selected from a group consisting of the charitable objects and theassets so as to obtain a sufficient amount of the money to continue toparticipate in the game.